East Midlands Charity, CLICK Arts Foundation is inviting you to shimmy and strut with them in 5 hours of Burlesque on Friday July 26th from 4.30pm, St Crispin Community Centre, NN5 4GL, as a fundraiser for their work.

CLICK Arts Foundation, reg charity 1203549 promote and support advancement of the performing and visual arts, championing their power and benefits including those to wellbeing. They provide grant funding of up to £2000 for grassroots arts organisations to support inclusive public participation and to support national arts organisations and institutions.

Since being founded in 2023 the charity has already given over £17 000 of grant funding to Performing Arts; Music and Heritage and Arts and Crafts Projects. They have also worked with Wellbeing Media Studio to produce a film to support the work of Northamptonshire Cancer Charity The Lewis Foundation, knowing that when you say it, people still may not listen but put it into a film and they will watch!

Grant recipients have said:

placeholder image — CLICK Arts Foundation Burlesque Squad

“The children are over the moon. Our academy is dedicated to fostering talent and creativity among individuals from various backgrounds, embracing racial and neural diversity. We have a strong focus on community engagement and aim to create impactful outcomes through our performances and shows.” (G-Stars Dance);

“Thank you for enabling 2 African drumming instructors to provide African drumming sessions to members of the community not engaging in any recreational activities and who tend to be isolated. The sessions enable cultural learning of African heritage, therapeutic experiences from the attendees as well as learning new drumming skills from different parts of Africa.” (The United African Association);

“Thank you. CCBC is a well-regarded community organisation supporting children and young teens and their families in the London Borough of Hackney. In the course of our work, we constantly receive requests from users to help them in their mission to best achieve, enabling them to flourish.” (Clapton Common Boys Club)

Charity Trustee Jemma Gambrill said “July 26th marks our 1 year anniversary of Burlesque sessions for confidence and self and body appreciation, and in that year we've hosted two "Age of Love Cafe" events with Dr Sharron Hinchliff to promote sexual wellbeing as a key part of wellness across the lifespan, and we will be performing in a show on Sept 12th raising awareness of World Suicide Prevention Day. Tickets available here: CLICKS Art Foundation - Show for World Suicide Prevention Day (ticketsolve.com)

We're raising money for our charity CLICK Arts Foundation who gives grants to grassroots arts projects (like this one) - which promote inclusivity, creativity andconnectivity. Cuts to arts funding has meant many such opportunities - which can be lifelines within the community - hav e ceased to exist, and we're helping to change that.”

The sexual wellbeing events headed by the Burlesque squad were recently recognised by – and featured in – the United Nations State of the World Population Report 2024 as an example of the work being done in the UK to promote sexual rights as we age.

There are many ways to contribute to the CLICK Arts Foundation Burlesque Fundraiser on Friday July 26th from 4.30pm, St Crispin Community Centre, NN5 4GL:

1. MAKE A DONATION through our Just Giving page - any amount - we're always grateful https://www.justgiving.com/team/burlesqueathong

2. Donate to DANCE WITH US!!! Join 1. 2. 3. 4 or all 5 sessions as you wish! Suggested donation: £5 for one session, £8 for 2, £12 for 3, £16 for 4, and £20 for the full five (any children joining the early sessions £2). IF DANCING PLEASE EMAIL [email protected] just to confirm when you will be attending because we need to be aware of numbers!

3. SPECTATE and enjoy refreshments - The Lewis Foundation will be there with their coffee shop (and sandwiches!!) - so you could make a small donation, and then come along and watch, and support them as well.

Our dance programme is as follows- with all sessions being fully facilitated with warm up and cool down:

CHILD FRIENDLY - so parents and children can attend

4.30-5.00 - Spice Up Your Life

5.00-6.00 - Surface Pressure

STRICTLY ADULTS (over 18)

6.00-7.00 - Walking In Memphis

7.00-8.00 - I Guess that's why they Call it the Blues (specifically choreographed for male participants, should you wish to give it a go), but we ladies all perform it very well!!

8.00-9.00 - Blank Space

9.00-9.30 - Cell Block Tango (abridged) - with basic Chair tricks.

For more information visit the Burlesque Squad’s Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/team/burlesqueathong